Restaurant owners ask me the same question: "What do I actually need on my website?" The answer is simpler than most people think.
You don't need animations or a homepage video that takes forever to load. You need the basics done right.
Most restaurant websites I come across have one of two problems. They don't exist, because the owner relies on Facebook and DoorDash. Or they exist, but they're slow, outdated and missing what customers came for.
These are the 7 restaurant website features I focus on, and why each one matters. If you want this done for you, that's my restaurant website design work. To see the same ideas on real sites, read my guide to the best restaurant websites.
Why Your Restaurant Website Matters More Than You Think
The short version: people look up your menu, hours and location before they decide to come in. Your website should answer all three fast.
Before someone walks through your door, they usually want the same few things. That's the menu, your hours, where you are, a few photos and a quick way to order or call. If what they find is a broken page or a PDF menu they can't read on a phone, they'll pick somewhere else.
Here are the 7 things that separate a restaurant website that works from one that just takes up space on the internet.
The 7 Features That Actually Matter
A Mobile-First Menu (Not a PDF)
People look up restaurants on their phones, often on the way somewhere. If your menu is a PDF, they have to open a file, pinch to zoom and squint at tiny text on a small screen. Plenty of them will just go somewhere else.
Put your menu on the page as real text. It loads fast, reads well on any screen and gives Google words to match when someone searches for a dish.
Google can read the text in a PDF (Google's list of indexable file types), but a menu on the page is easier for people and for search. A photo of a printed menu gives Google almost nothing to read.
What I look for: Can a hungry person open the menu, read it and decide in under a minute? No downloads, no zooming, no mystery categories. Just open the site and start reading.
Accurate Hours and Location with Google Maps
This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how often the hours are wrong, the address is buried in tiny footer text, or there's no map at all.
Put your hours and address on the homepage, where a phone user sees them without scrolling. Embed a Google Map so people can tap it for directions.
Nobody wants to copy your address, open Maps and paste it in. Make it one tap.
Practical example: If your Google listing says one thing, your website says another and your Facebook page says a third, customers don't know which to trust. Pick one source of truth, update it, and make sure your website and Google Business Profile match.
Online Ordering Links (Direct, Not Just DoorDash)
If the only way to order from you online is through a delivery app, every order goes through someone else's system first, and you pay for it. DoorDash's own pricing page lists delivery commissions from 15% to 30% of each order, depending on the plan (DoorDash Marketplace pricing).
Your website should have a clear "Order Online" button that goes to your own ordering page. Toast, Square Online and ChowNow all let you take orders directly.
You'll still pay their fees, but not a delivery app's commission on every order. Your website becomes the place that sends people to you, not to a middleman.
What I look for: The order button should be easy to spot in the header, near the menu and on a phone. If you have direct ordering, make it the first option. If you only use third-party apps right now, still make the path clear so customers aren't hunting for it.
Quick math on ordering fees: At a 15% to 30% commission, every $100 in delivery orders costs you $15 to $30 before food cost. Delivery apps can still be worth it. But every regular your website sends to direct ordering keeps that money with you.
Real Photos of Your Food and Space
Stock photos of generic pasta don't fool anyone. People can tell when the photos aren't yours, and it hurts trust.
You don't need a professional photographer. A decent phone, a window for light and the food on a clean plate will do.
Take photos of your best dishes, your dining room, your patio and your bar. Show people what they're actually going to get.
What I look for: Photos that feel like your actual place. A real burger on your counter beats a perfect stock burger from a studio. Your customers can tell the difference.
Need a Restaurant Website That Works?
I build restaurant websites for Louisville businesses. Custom design, mobile-friendly, with the basics handled the right way. Pro is $2,500 setup and $399/month.
Google Business Profile Connection
Your website and your Google Business Profile should work together. When someone searches "restaurants in NuLu" or "brunch near me Louisville," the map results come from Business Profiles. Your website backs that up.
Your profile should link to your website, and both should say the same thing: same name, same address, same phone number, same hours. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. It also says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up (Google Business Profile Help).
If you haven't set up your Business Profile yet, I wrote a full guide on how to get your business on Google. It's free to set up. Reviews feed that profile too, so here's how to get more Google reviews.
Click-to-Call Phone Number on Every Page
When someone is on your site on their phone, they should be able to tap your number and call.
Not find the contact page. Not scroll to the footer. One tap.
Put your phone number in the header of every page, linked so it's tappable on a phone. People call restaurants about reservations, large parties, allergies and holiday hours. Make it easy.
What I look for: Open the site on your phone and try to call. If it takes more than one tap once the page loads, the phone number isn't doing its job.
Fast Loading Speed
If your website is slow on a phone, hungry customers don't wait around. They go back to Google and tap the next result.
The usual reasons a restaurant site is slow are oversized photos, too many scripts and plugins, and cheap hosting. Google rates the main content showing up in 2.5 seconds or less as good (Google PageSpeed Insights documentation).
Compressed photos, clean code and solid hosting get you there. If your site runs on WordPress, start with what to check first on a slow WordPress site.
What I look for: I test the page on a phone, not on a fast office connection. If the menu, phone number and location are slow to show up, that's the first thing to fix.
What You Don't Need
What you leave off matters as much as what you put on:
- Autoplay background videos. They slow the site down and eat through mobile data. A good photo does the same job.
- Complex reservation systems. Unless you're fine dining, a phone number and maybe an OpenTable link is plenty.
- Embedded social media feeds. They slow the page and pull attention away from your menu. Link to your accounts instead.
- Elaborate animations. Your brisket photo sliding in from the left doesn't make anyone hungrier. It just makes the page slower.
A Note About Facebook Pages vs. Websites
Restaurant owners often ask, "I have a Facebook page. Do I really need a website?" Short answer: yes.
Facebook limits what you control, changes its rules whenever it wants, and not every customer uses it. Your website is yours. I wrote more about this in website vs. Facebook page if you want the full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my restaurant need online ordering on the website?
You don't need a full ordering system built into your site. But you should have a clear link to wherever customers can order directly from you, whether that's Toast, Square, ChowNow or another platform.
Send people to the ordering path you control best. Even a simple "Order Online" button that links to your own ordering page makes a difference.
Should I put my full menu on my website?
Yes, and it should be real text on the page, not a PDF. A text menu loads faster on phones, reads without pinching and zooming, and gives Google words to match when someone searches for a dish. If your menu changes often, keep your core items on the site and update it when things change in a big way.
How do I get my restaurant on Google Maps?
Create or claim your Google Business Profile, then complete the verification method Google offers for that profile. Google picks the method, which may include video, phone or text, email, live video, mail, or more than one step.
The official verification guide has the current options. I also have a complete guide to Google Business Profile setup for the full walkthrough.
The Bottom Line
A good restaurant website doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to be fast, accurate and easy to use on a phone.
Put your menu on the page as text. Show your real hours and location. Link to your best ordering path.
Use your own photos, connect your Google Business Profile and make the phone number tappable. And make sure the whole thing loads fast enough that customers don't give up.
Those 7 things cover what restaurant customers usually need from your site. Nail them and you're ahead of a lot of restaurants with outdated sites or only a Facebook page. If your current site misses most of them, here are the 5 signs it's time for a new website.
If you want help getting this done, I build restaurant websites for Louisville businesses. Custom design, not a template.
Everything important on this list is included in Pro: $2,500 setup, then $399/month for hosting, updates, support, local SEO and reporting. Your site can be built in 1 to 2 weeks once your content is in, and live in 2 to 3.
Call or text me at (502) 305-4043 and let's talk about your restaurant.
